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Cannot uninstall Exchange 2007 because Public Folders cannot be removed
Recently one of our IT staff was tasked to install and complete a transition from Exchange 2000 to Exchange 2007. The installation got royally screwed up, and rather than try to go through and fix it, we've decided to uninstall it and also move it to a more capable server (or possibly virtualize it w/ VMWare). Currently it's installed on a single server w/ no clustering or anything particularly fancy. We want to gingerly migrate mailboxes from the Exchange 2000 server to the new 2007 one over the period of 2-3 weeks. Currently our Private and Public Information store resides soley on the Exchange 2000 server which runs Server 2000 SP4.
When trying to uninstall the mailbox role in Exchange 2007 from our Server 2003 Standard R2 server, I encounter the following error:
"Mailbox Role Prerequisites
Error: Uninstall cannot proceed. Database 'Public Folder Database': The public folder database specified contains folder replicas. Before deleting the public folder database, remove the folders or move the replicas to another public folder database"
Since we're not removing the last Public Folders instance in our organization (since it still resides on the Exchange 2000 server, I believe that this article (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998329.aspx) would likely be inappropriate. I also found that our scripts folder does not include the Remove-PublicFolderDatabas
I also need to ensure any remnants of the Exchange 2007 server are removed from Active Directory (hence the higher points award on this question) and removal of the Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT) from the System Manager console on our Exchange 2000 system. It needs to be like the Exchange 2007 system never existed so that the redeployment on another server is clean as it relates to our organization. Keep in mind that I'm a network admin and storage specialist, not an Exchange admin. With that in mind, please do not assume much prior knowledge of Exchange in general with your answer. Kindly lay out numbered or bulleted step-by-steps on what would need to be done to accomplish this task if possible. Thanks!
When trying to uninstall the mailbox role in Exchange 2007 from our Server 2003 Standard R2 server, I encounter the following error:
"Mailbox Role Prerequisites
Error: Uninstall cannot proceed. Database 'Public Folder Database': The public folder database specified contains folder replicas. Before deleting the public folder database, remove the folders or move the replicas to another public folder database"
Since we're not removing the last Public Folders instance in our organization (since it still resides on the Exchange 2000 server, I believe that this article (http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa998329.aspx) would likely be inappropriate. I also found that our scripts folder does not include the Remove-PublicFolderDatabas
I also need to ensure any remnants of the Exchange 2007 server are removed from Active Directory (hence the higher points award on this question) and removal of the Exchange Administrative Group (FYDIBOHF23SPDLT) from the System Manager console on our Exchange 2000 system. It needs to be like the Exchange 2007 system never existed so that the redeployment on another server is clean as it relates to our organization. Keep in mind that I'm a network admin and storage specialist, not an Exchange admin. With that in mind, please do not assume much prior knowledge of Exchange in general with your answer. Kindly lay out numbered or bulleted step-by-steps on what would need to be done to accomplish this task if possible. Thanks!
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Nuno Martins
Just one question did you started replicating the public folders?
ASKER
This article refers to removing the first Exchange 2003 server from the organization. I'm not doing that. I'm removing a Exchange 2007 server from an organization that has a Exchange 2000 which has all of the mailboxes and public folders on it.
I did notice under the properties for each individual public folder that the Exchange 2007 server was not added to the "Replicate Content to these Public Stores" list. Does that need to be done manually for every public folder on the Exchange 2000 server first and have the server fully replicate the Public Folder database to my Exchange 2007 system prior to me being able to being able to successfully remove the Public Folder database that was replicated to the 2007 server? I thought what logically had to be done was to disable replication so that the copy on my Exchange 2007 server could be removed. Please correct me if I am wrong.
I did notice under the properties for each individual public folder that the Exchange 2007 server was not added to the "Replicate Content to these Public Stores" list. Does that need to be done manually for every public folder on the Exchange 2000 server first and have the server fully replicate the Public Folder database to my Exchange 2007 system prior to me being able to being able to successfully remove the Public Folder database that was replicated to the 2007 server? I thought what logically had to be done was to disable replication so that the copy on my Exchange 2007 server could be removed. Please correct me if I am wrong.
ASKER
nfmartins: It doesn't look as though the public folders on my Exch. 2000 server ever replicated to the 2007 one. I don't see copies of those folders in the 2007 Management Console or the 2000 System Manager. Also I refer to my previous comment to Endeffects of having to manually set each public folder in Exchange 2000 to replicate to the 2007 server.
Hi please take a look to this situation and see if thos can help you
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/23061075/Can-Not-Uninstall-Mailbox-Role-From-Exchange-2007.html
https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/23061075/Can-Not-Uninstall-Mailbox-Role-From-Exchange-2007.html
Did you try the solution that microsoft recomends
"To resolve this issue, move or delete the public folder database on the server and rerun Exchange Server 2007 setup."
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997893.aspx
"To resolve this issue, move or delete the public folder database on the server and rerun Exchange Server 2007 setup."
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa997893.aspx
ASKER
nfmartins: Yes, I did. It still gave me the same error I listed above.
ASKER
nfmartins:
This article, while helpful as it does explain some commands I was not aware of, is not what I need. That article refers to moving replicas to other servers. I don't want to move the replicas, or the public folder database. I want to get rid of it while maintaining the existing Public Folders on my Exchange 2000 server and leaving those untouched.
This article, while helpful as it does explain some commands I was not aware of, is not what I need. That article refers to moving replicas to other servers. I don't want to move the replicas, or the public folder database. I want to get rid of it while maintaining the existing Public Folders on my Exchange 2000 server and leaving those untouched.
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